Todd McShay mock draft 4.0: Francis Mauigoa, Chris Bell to the NY Giants

Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa blocks an Ohio State defender | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The 2026 NFL Draft is going to be an unpredictable one, and the New York Giants may be the most unpredictable team in the draft.

This year’s draft class is causing all kinds of anxiety among mock drafters thanks to its lack of “blue chip” players at premium positions, as well as a flat — though still high — talent level after the top 10 or 12 players on the board. Nobody seems to have a clear picture how the top 50, or so, players will shake out, because each player could be viewed wildly differently by each team.

It’s being widely predicted that the Giants will use the fifth overall pick on the defensive side of the ball. However, Todd McShay of The Ringer is going in a very different direction with his Mock Draft 4.0. Based both on his (and Steve Muench’s) evaluations and his conversations with NFL scouts, coaches, and executives, McShay is bypassing the defensive side of the ball entirely.

He has the Giants taking Miami OL Francis Mauigoa and Louisville WR Chris Bell.

5. Francis Mauigoa (OL, Miami)

[Prospect profile]

This pick is one of the clear pressure points in Round 1. I went back and forth between Mauigoa and LB Sonny Styles. John Harbaugh has a rich history of elite linebackers anchoring his defenses dating back to the Ray Lewis days, but with a young quarterback in Jaxson Dart, improving the offensive line has to be the priority. Giants quarterbacks were sacked 48 times last season (tied for 23rd) and pressured on 35 percent of dropbacks (25th).

I even reached out to former coaches and personnel who’ve worked with Harbaugh to get a sense of which way he might lean, and while linebacker and safety are important, there’s a belief he would go offensive line in this scenario.

Taking Mauigoa after signing Jermaine Eluemunor—with both players capable of playing right tackle or sliding inside to guard—would give the Giants valuable flexibility to get their best five on the field. Mauigoa is massive, at 6 feet, 5 1/2 inches and 329 pounds, and he was a three-year starter and 2025 team captain at Miami. His arm length is a bit shorter than ideal, but it doesn’t show up as a major issue on tape. He’s a powerful run blocker with impressive range for his size, and he more than holds his own in pass protection.

McShay has targeted the Giants at fifth overall as the first real pressure point in this year’s draft, and for the second year in a row believes the Giants are the team that holds the keys to the draft. There is a very clear delineation between the offensive tackles who could start in the NFL, and everyone else. McShay has been adamant in his recent podcasts that once the first tackle goes, there is going to be a gold rush for them, and he believes the Giants are a potential jumping off point for that run.

But as he says in his description, he agonizes over this pick. I invite everyone to take 20 minutes and listen to McShay and Steve Muench discuss the fifth overall pick and game out the different directions the Giants could go.

37. Chris Bell (WR, Louisville)

[Prospect profile]

This is where things get spicy, so it makes sense that it was included in McShay’s premium newsletter.

McShay noted in his April 13th podcast (1:02:41 timestamp) that, based on his conversations with NFL sources, Chris Bell is a wildcard. He, Chris Brazzell II, and Deion Burks are three players that NFL teams are more interested in than the public reporting would suggest. The common theme between them is the ability to catch the ball and then immediately transition to exploding downfield with elite speed.

McShay says:

…my goodness does this dude catch the ball. And the transition, that’s the thing that two different guys I talked to yesterday, they were likening it to think about like what Green Bay’s got and the Steelers have gotten.

He he is the wild card in this group because if you’re comfortable with them and even if you’re kind and not, he could be so damn explosive.

His transition acceleration after the catch.

If you can scheme him up to to get him open and get him one step on a on a defender slash defense where his momentum catch through, he provides a different element than a lot of these other guys.

He then went on to compare Bell to A.J. Brown and a faster Deebo Samuel.

Chris’ thoughts

The Giants spending both of their high picks on the offense is a scenario I’ve been thinking about for a while.

As Harbaugh himself said in his introductory press conference, “It starts with the quarterback, for sure,” Harbaugh said. “You build your team around your quarterback. You build your team around your players and what they do well, and I like the way he plays. I like his talent, skill set, all the things he’s accomplished. But more than that, I like who he is and what he’s about.

…

“The quarterback’s kind of important, that’s kind of a big deal. I’m excited about Jaxson Dart.”

The team is already hyper-invested on the defensive side of the ball with 7 former first round picks as potential starters, and just one (1) Day 3 pick as a potential starter. Perhaps the answer isn’t on Joe Schoen and the personnel department to add more talent to the group, but John Harbaugh’s coaching staff to get them to play up to their talent level.

On to the picks themselves.

I am of two minds about the selection of Mauigoa at 5th overall. On the one hand, I was consistent in saying that if the Giants weren’t able to retain Jermaine Eluemunor at right tackle — or adequately replace him in free agency — Mauigoa is the correct pick.

In theory, that should translate to guard as well, considering the Giants don’t have an entrenched starter and Mauigoa should be able to make the transition. So if the Giants aren’t confident and comfortable with any of the players in the competition for right guard, Mauigoa is likewise the correct pick. And there is the upside that he might be able to transition back to offensive tackle in three years after Eluemunor’s time is up.

On the other hand, Daniel Faalele started for John Harbaugh for two years and the Giants just signed him. If they weren’t comfortable with him as the baseline play for the position, why sign him? By the same token, why re-sign Evan Neal and Joshua Ezeudu to compete for the job as well?

John Harbaugh has been an honorable and loyal man throughout his career. Just this month Harbaugh said that when Neal and Ezeudu spoke to him in his office, he told them they would have a shot, an opportunity to compete and realize their dreams. Drafting Mauigoa (or Ioane, or any top guard prospect) would put paid to that competition before it even began.

So while I’d understand the pick if the Giants make it, it would be incongruous with Harbaugh’s character and the Giants’ actions so far this year.

As I said, the Bell pick is spicy.

It is less than ideal for both of the Giants’ top wide receivers to be coming off of ACL tears, even if Bell is reportedly ahead of schedule.

However, the upside of pairing Malik Nabers with a player like Bell is undeniable. Naber’s quickness, agility, and speed is tough for bigger, stronger DBs to deal with, while also feasting on zone coverages. Pairing that with a 6-foot-2, 220-pound receiver with (estimated) 4.3-second speed puts defenses in a “pick your poison” situation. It would absolutely force them into 2-deep coverages, restrict blitz packages, and all but guarantee neutral or light boxes in the running game. In short, it would finally allow the Giants to join the modern chess game on even footing and give their backfield the same advantages enjoyed by the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.

If the Giants are comfortable with Bell’s medical reports, a pairing like that could truly unlock the Giants’ offense. Combine that with half a dozen first rounders playing up to their potential in a well-coached and well-schemed defense, and things could get very fun, very fast.